Spring plank



R. LEFPLA SPRING PLANK March 2, 1948.

Filed April 5, 1946 Sheets-Sheet l HIvFNbN.

v m 4 l- [N VENT 0R. Rudolph L elaa,

March 2, 1948. R. LEPPLA SPRING PLANK Filed April` 5, 1946 v2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INI/ENToR. fh Lepjala Rudol raw 1' ATTRNEYS Patented Mar. 2, 1948 UNITED `ST'A'IES OFFICE 2,437,033 SPRING BLANK Rudolph Leonie, Pittsburgh.. ifo-i assigner. to, McConway & Torley Corpqratiom Pittsburgh,v VPa., a corporation of Iennsay-lvanvia` Application one e. 194e. saai No. @desde e l 'This invention relates to. railway oer; triieke. and more particularly to spring planks of the type that are suspended from a, transom by means of links pivoted to swing transversely of the truck and that areprovided with seats for supporting groups of 'coil springs which 'yieldaloly i support the truck holster. l y

The invention has for an object to provide a. spring plank of the character referred to that isr in the form ofa onepiece metal'casting provided with spring seats and integral lange's'and i It its also an object of the invention to provide acne piece cast metal spring plank provided with integral spring seating end portions. provided ,with positioning lugs on their upper faces and pivot engaging bearings on their under faces, the plilks being` o f relatively light weight and of a configuration such that uniform cooling of the casting is provided and distortion of the casting and weakening thereof due to internal strains is avoided.

With the above and other objects in View, the

invention may be said to comprise the spring plank as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, hereinafter described and particularly set forth inthe appended claimstogether with such variations and modifications thereof as will be apparent to one skilled in the art to whichwthe Vinvention pertains.

IEteierencel should be had tothe accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in

, which:

Figure' l is a fragmentary transverse rvertical section through a truck side frame showing the transom, spring plank and bolster in side elevation;

Fig. 2 is a. section taken on the at 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the spring plank;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through the spring plank taken on the line indicated at 4-4 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section on an enlarged scale through the .spring seating portion of the bolster, the section being taken on .the line indicated at 5 5 in Fig. 4, and

line indicated that extendsentirely.y around the..

relai-m15. (c1. 10s-190) Fige. aeeotion tekenen the. tine indiooted at 6,-5 in Fig. l3.

In the aeomoentide. drawings. the. intention is shown applied to o. railwayv ear trook. .o f a. oon.- ventionol dosiert, whio .r1.o111d-ee., a t l .that is supported, ot its ends lovv ooit. oorlogs 2 mounted eide it beine understood that the end of the transom tnoitoeiteA that shown in the drawingsk is euooortediii dentioel, .Hieriner upon the side irfaiiie the.k opposite, eide of thetruok.. The transom l has bearings, t that support pivots 5 of links 6 whichphavelongitudinel Slots t adjacent their. lower eiidoto. .reoeive the ends of. Pivot here. 8 which toleriertv e., serine plank e. As'siiowri in Fia 3., the sono plank 9 has widened end. portions. lil,- forrnioa eeetsior groups of coil springs ll which support a, bolster l2, a safety hanger I3 attached ta he transom i serving to support the Spring. plank iii oase of ,foiilireof triesdoeortiog links or pivots.

The Serine plo kines inaifierige I4 sides. and ends of the' plank. the iieiilee Mirande, rounded sho-u1.- der portions l5. ot the. ieder eoroeisof the Spring seats i0. arid rounded. eortiorie iii the doter eorners. of .the spriogseete.. theiroirtidedpertiooe l5, and i6 of thejflangeooiiiormirie to thoperipiieries ofthe ooilepriiie'e.I ,tendeerririeto position the lower ends .thereof o iitiie iii ltie row Lportionsi oi the sortira, Rienk intermediate lthe' widened portions. In. ereietif Ved tti integral.

l laterally projecting aiiges Hond. vertical-.breeide webs 'I8 integral with the denses i11- arid i4 The stiieriing flanges i1 also provide medios. ior attachment oi e brake beeld henger lo. which may be of.y ootwedtionai oogen-notiert The springv olaiikie. eoiieeieee metal. destine end is providedwith adeptes-sed, portion, 2. extendine' transversely across each.. et the seating portions i0-A itieoh. d A is provided with o, o facing loeeririe.v reoees. 2l tiiotzie termed toeeet door; e pivot bar 8 and each depressed portion has a convex upper surface 22 below the level of the top face of the plank. The upper .surface 22 of the depressed portion 20 has a central rib 23 extending the full length thereof and laterally spaced ribs 24 disposed at right angles to the rib 23. The ribs 23 and 24 have top edges ush with the` top face of the spring seating portion l0 and form part of the spring seat, the depressed portion 20 being divided by the ribs 23 and 24 into a series of recesses 25. 'I'he ribs 23 and 24 stiien the spring seating portions of the plank that would otherwise be weakened by the transverse depres- 3 sions, and, since the thickness of the ribs isv substantially the same as the plank, the cooling of the spring seating portions of the casting is substantially uniform and the casting is not deformed or weakened by internal strains.

At the inner edges of the spring seating portions l mdwaybetween the side edges of the plank, integral upstanding spring positioning lugs 2B are provided and centrally of each spring seat upstanding positioning lugs 21 are formed integrally with the central rib 23. The lugs 26 and 21 cooperate with the rounded portions I5 and i6 of the flange I4 to position coil springs Il on each seat l0,\the lugs and flanges engaging the springs at circumferentially spaced points to hold the springs against lateral displacement on the seats. The seats are also preferably provided with hollow bosses 28 which are adapted to center the inner coils of double coil springs on the seats. 1

Safety loops 29 are preferably provided at each end of each of the bearing recesses 2|, the loops 29 being formed integrally with the spring plank 9 and being of a width and depth to receive the A pivot bars 8 and allow play between the pivot bars and spring plank. The loops 29 prevent the pivot bars 8 from becoming detached from the bearing recesses 2l and also serve to strengthen the ends of the spring plank, bracing webs 30 preferably being provided between the bottom of I the spring plank and the opposite sides of each of the safety loops.

It is to be understood that variations and modifications of the. specific devices herein shown and described for purpses of illustration, may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A one piece cast metal spring plank having an elongated body portion and widened end portions, the upper faces of which provide seats for coil spring groups, said plank having a marginal upwardly projecting flange extending along its sides and around its ends, the portions of the flange bordering the spring seats having rounded spring positioning portions, said body portion of the plank having laterally projecting stiiening and attachment flanges intermediate its ends, said end portions each having upwardly projecting centrally disposed spring positioning lugs.

2. A one piece cast metal spring plank having widened end portions, the upper faces of which provide seats for coil spring groups, said plank having a marginal upwardly projecting ange extending 'along' its sides and around its ends, said flange having a series of rounded spring positioning portions engageable with the peripheries of coil springs mounted on said end portions, saidV end portions having integral upwardly projecting spring positioning lugs spaced inwardly from the spring positioning `portions of said flange, each-end portion having an integral bearing portion extending transversely across the under side thereof, each bearing portion having a downwardly facing concave pivot receiving recess extending throughout the length thereof, the upper faces of said end portions having recesses overlying said bearing portions and integral stiffening ribs in said recesses.

3. A one piece cast metal spring plank having widened end portions, the upper faces of which provide seats for coil spring groups, said plank having a marginal upwardly projecting flange extending along its sides and around its ends, said flange having a series of rounded spring positioning portions engageable with the peripheries of coil springs mounted on said end portions, said end portions having integral upwardly projecting spring positioning lugs spaced inwardly from the spring positioning portions of said iiange, each end portion having an integral bearing portion extending transversely across the under side thereof, each bearing portion having a transversely concave pivot receiving recess extending across the under side of an end portion of the plank, the upper faces of said end portions having recesses overlying said bearing portions and stiiening ribs in said recesses having upper edges flush with the upper faces of said end portions and forming portions of the spring seats.

4. A one piece cast metal spring plank having end portions having flat upper faces providing seats for coil spring groups, marginal flanges at the ends of the plank having portions of which are shaped to exteriorly engage coil springs of said groups, bearing portionsv having downwardly facing pivot recesses extending transversely across said end portions, the upper faces of said end portions having a depressed portion overlying said bearing portions, integral stiffening ribs in said depressed portion having upper edges ush with the upper face of the plank and forming portions of the spring seat, lugs integral with certain of said ribs and forming central spring positioning members, and an integral positioning lug disposed centrally of the plank adjacent the inner edge of each spring seat.

RUDOLPH LEPPLA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

